Chapter 5

After leaving the western gate of the capital and walking for about an hour, the forest that was their destination finally came into view. Flamu, whose stamina was boosted by her equipment, was fine, but Milkite showed signs of fatigue.

"Shall we take a break before entering the forest?"

"If you are concerned about me, you can ignore me."

"Then let's take a break."

Perhaps Milkite wanted to say that the master didn't need to care about the slave's condition, but by saying "don't worry about me," she was essentially admitting that she wanted a break deep down. Milkite fiddled with the loose end of the bandage on her face, perhaps as a way to express her dissatisfaction. Of course, Flamu couldn't understand this, and even if she did, it wouldn't have changed Milkite's resolve.

Finding a tree stump near the entrance of the forest, Flamu sat down. Milkite stood beside her, maintaining a straight posture. Seeing her deliberately avoid eye contact with her master, Flamu, slightly irritated, patted the space next to her.

"No need to worry about me."

"Actually, standing is more of a bother. Please, sit down."

Frustrated by Flamu's pleading, Milkite couldn't continue to stick to her stance. She sat on the edge of the stump, a little distance away from Flamu, hesitantly.

The awkward distance between them was noticeable, but for now, they would have to compromise.

"…Master?"

"Hmm?"

Milkite asked with a slightly confused tone.

"Do you not find me disgusting when you look at me?"

The lips under the bandage moved, and the dry fabric rustled in sync.

"I do, it's creepy and disgusting."

There was no point in hiding it. The bandage covering her face was stained red and black in places, and the skin visible through the gaps was not healthy. Even if she was a girl of the same age, it was natural to feel repulsed by such an appearance.

"Then why did you bring me along?"

"I was lonely and felt insecure on my own."

"If that's the case, I'm not suitable. You should sell me and buy a different slave."

She was incredibly pessimistic. Indeed, there was no reason for Flamu to be attached to Milkite. She had just happened to be in the same cage and survived, so Flamu brought her along. But for some reason—though Flamu didn't understand why—a sense of mission welled up inside her.

"Maybe… it's out of hypocrisy."

"Is that why you brought me along?"

"Yes. I couldn't do anything, I was useless, and I couldn't save anyone. As a result, I was sold as a slave. It's a really dirty thought, but… if I could bring the unfortunate Milkite into a normal life and make her happy, maybe I would have a reason to live. I think I had a bit of that ulterior motive."

It wasn't a conscious thought, but when she thought about it, it seemed to be one of the reasons. If she used nicer words, it could be said that she wanted to save Milkite from the depths of despair, or perhaps it was a hero complex. By doing so, she might be able to regain the confidence she lost when she was expelled from the party and sold as a slave.

"I don't understand. You want to make me happy? Then you should sell me. I'm not a suitable slave."

"You've already recognized me as your master, haven't you? It's too late to return you now."

Milkite put her hand to the back of her head and skillfully untied the knot of the bandage with one hand. Then she began to remove the bandage covering her face.

"..."

The sight of her face, which was so terrible that Flamu took a step back, was even worse than she had imagined. The entire area from her chin to her forehead was discolored in patches, swollen, rotten, and oozing pus.

"Can you still say 'you'll do' with this face?"

Milkite didn't want Flamu to abandon her. She just thought it was unfair to only show her bandaged face. If Flamu was going to choose her as the object of her hypocrisy, she needed to see everything first, or she might betray her master as a slave.

Flamu covered her mouth for a moment, her mind racing with thoughts like "disgusting," "it must hurt," "grotesque," "pitiful," and "but her eyes are still beautiful." None of these thoughts were helpful in the situation, and they wouldn't mean anything to Milkite. However, she noticed one useful piece of information among the jumble of thoughts. The symptoms of her face, which looked like it was rotting, reminded her of something she had learned from Eterna during their journey.

"Is it Mustard Poison?"

"Mus...?"

"Can I touch it?"

If it was what Flamu thought, there should be no pain left. She reached out to confirm if it was really the symptoms of Mustard Poison. Milkite quickly stood up and refused.

"Master, it's contagious."

"Mustard Poison isn't contagious. Who told you that?"

"My previous master. He said it was contagious and incurable, so I should never touch anyone."

Flamu's hand, which had been extended towards Milkite, clenched into a fist, her nails digging into her palm. There were more corrupt people in the world than she had imagined. The victims were always the innocent and weak, while the perpetrators lived carefree lives, causing suffering and death, and even laughing at the way they died. This kind of injustice couldn't be allowed to continue.

"Lies... everyone is lying and deceiving others!"

Flamu was so angry that she wanted to tear them apart with her soul-eater if there was someone to vent her anger on, but now, only the victim was here. The only thing she could do was to lick her wounds. Using the momentum from her legs and arms, she stood up straight and ran to Milkite, who was a little distance away, and hugged her. It wouldn't be contagious anyway. Even if Milkite resisted, Flamu rubbed her cheek against hers.

"No, Master, this is bad. If it really is contagious, you'll end up looking as ugly as me."

A rare emotion appeared in Milkite's usually expressionless voice. She must have been threatened by her previous master to never touch anyone and that it was definitely contagious.

"I don't care!"

Flamu said loudly and roughly, trying to erase Milkite's bad memories.

"Let me tell you, I have no intention of giving up on you just because of this! You might have tried to run away by showing me your face, but too bad. If anything, my resolve is even stronger now."

"That wasn't my intention. But even if you say you want to make me happy, my previous master said this face can't be cured, and I think I'll be a burden to you forever."

"I see. Well, it's true that healing magic might not be able to cure it."

Currently, in the kingdom, the treatment of injuries, diseases, and poisons is the responsibility of priests and nuns, not doctors. They use light attribute healing magic to remove all obstacles without the need for medicine or surgery. This method has led to a significant increase in the average lifespan of the kingdom over the past few decades. However, healing magic is not omnipotent. There are diseases and poisons that it cannot cure, one of which is the skin rot caused by Mustard Poison.

"But, Milkite, there is a way to cure it. If magic can't cure it, we can use medicine."

"That's true... no one else knew, but you are very knowledgeable. But... don't the alchemists no longer exist in the kingdom?"

Milkite was right. The church, under the current pope who inherited all the authority from his father, began to crush the alchemists to maintain a monopoly on medical treatment. They used pressure, business interference, and hoarding of herbs to cut off the supply. They convinced the believers that this was a way to show their faith in Origin, and the believers, who believed it, hindered the alchemists in various ways, making it impossible for them to live, and most of them went out of business. However, not all knowledge and techniques were lost. The church's reach did not extend to the lone magician who lived in a remote place before setting out on the journey to defeat the demon king. That was Eterna. During the journey, Flamu learned some knowledge of magic and herbs from her to be of some help to the party. Although the period was not long enough to learn how to refine medicine, she had acquired enough knowledge to identify the cause of the symptoms to some extent.

"I know the materials needed for the antidote, so I plan to gather them once our income stabilizes. To make the medicine, I'll need a little help from an acquaintance..."

Would Eterna, who agreed to sell Flamu as a slave, listen to her wishes? The image of the magician who was laid-back but kind and shared her knowledge came to mind. Flamu had tried her best, even if she was useless, and she thought she had built some trust with some people. However, when asked if she was close enough to know all of Eterna's true feelings, she wasn't confident. But if she didn't want to believe, she wouldn't. For now, she would be optimistic and think only of the convenient things. After all, the world was already full of inconvenient things. If she could gather the herbs and ask Eterna, she would definitely make the medicine.

"To do that, we need to get through today first."

"Yes, if we take too long, it will get dark."

The two of them blushed and separated. They then rewrapped Milkite's bandages together, held hands again, and stepped into the forest where werewolves were said to live. The place was dim, the air was cold, and the ground was soft and took their feet. Although she had gained strength, this was her first time completing a quest as an adventurer. Her heart raced with tension, and a timid part of her wondered if it was really safe to proceed. However, the warmth of the hand she held and the sense of mission to protect gave her the courage to overcome her hesitation.

◇◇◇

After about ten minutes of walking in the forest, Flamu stopped in a relatively shallow area. She hid behind a tree, pulled Milkite close, and put her index finger to Milkite's lips.

"There, a werewolf."

In the direction of Flamu's whispered gaze, a hunched, wolf-like creature was seen moving on two legs, searching for prey.

"Master, I can't fight, so why did we need to come here?"

It was a valid question, but it didn't have to be said at this moment. Flamu, in a voice as low as possible, explained the reason.

"I thought about leaving you in the capital, but I thought humans were more dangerous than monsters."

If she had left Milkite, a slave, alone in town, who knew what might happen. They might never meet again.

"But I can't participate in the fight, can I?"

"For today, just try to avoid getting hurt. I think you'll be fine against an F-rank monster. And I'll think about bringing you along next time."

Everything depended on getting money and securing a place to stay. Flamu first activated her Scan to check the werewolf's status.

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Werewolf

Attribute: Earth

Strength: 159

Magic: 22

Health: 79

Agility: 207

Senses: 54

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After seeing all the numbers, she said with disgust.

"Really... there's no saving it. Ah, that Dane guy was the same, after all."

"What happened?"

"The total status of that monster is 521. Generally, if the total status exceeds 500, it's treated as a D-rank monster."

"Isn't it an F-rank?"

The two of them had been completely deceived by Dane. If a new adventurer tackled a D-rank monster, they would almost certainly be killed. Even with a strategy, the chances of winning were slim. In other words, they had indirectly tried to take the lives of the two of them.

"But I'm not that weak."

The total status increase from Flamu's Zweihänder was 995, making her a top-class D-rank. With healing abilities, she should be able to take down a monster of that level without any problem. When she focused, the hilt of the sword appeared from the other dimension. She gripped it and dragged the massive sword into the real world. Battle preparations were complete; all that was left was to close the distance and deliver a powerful blow. She adjusted her footing and was about to step out with her right foot when—

"Master, look over there."

Milkite's voice interrupted her. She looked in the direction she was pointing and saw another werewolf. Then another one appeared from a different place, and another one from yet another place. There were four monsters in total, gathered in the same spot. Werewolves were known to be particularly troublesome among D-rank monsters because they acted in groups.

"If you find one, assume there are at least three more in the vicinity."

This was a maxim passed down among experienced adventurers. Flamu, who had only been on a journey with a hero and was a complete novice as an adventurer, didn't know this. Even with superior status, dealing with four at once was difficult. She needed to find a way to separate them. As she glared at the pack, one of the four began to act suspiciously, shaking its head and looking around. It seemed to have detected a smell or sound that humans couldn't. The other three also began to look around nervously and became more alert. Flamu and Milkite hid completely behind the tree, waiting for the werewolves to finish their alertness. But before that—

A strong wind suddenly swept through, lifting the fallen leaves on the ground.

"What!?"

She instinctively closed her eyes. Flamu tried to look at the werewolves, shielding her face with her arm. There, she saw the lower half of a humanoid and the upper half, separated, in the mouth of a giant lion. But the lion had wings. The werewolves tried to resist and attack, but they were blown away by a single swipe of its front paws and slammed into trees. The lion then devoured them one by one.

"Scan!"

Faced with a large monster she had never seen before, Flamu quickly checked its status.

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Anzu

Attribute: Wind

Strength: 542

Magic: 408

Health: 301

Agility: 422

Senses: 214

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Total: 1887. The current Flamu, who found it difficult to deal with a group of D-rank monsters, had no chance against a C-rank monster.

"C-rank monster...!?"

"No... no way..."

Flamu should have escaped before being noticed. However, the Anzu's sharp senses had already detected their presence. With blood and flesh dripping from its mouth, the black eyes glared at them.

"Grr..."

A faint growl. The wings flapped, and something stirred around it. It seemed to Flamu like it was preparing to attack.

"Milkite!"

Acting on instinct, Flamu pushed Milkite away.

"Kyaa!?"

Milkite fell to the ground, rolling and looking up at her master.

Grrrrr!

Immediately, the Anzu's wind magic exploded. Sharp blades of wind were released from its wings, slicing through Flamu's body and the surrounding trees. Blood splattered, and her limbs flew into the air.